


Before the Dawn

by SilenceNorth



Category: Horizon: Zero Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Shameless Smut, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-04
Updated: 2017-04-04
Packaged: 2018-10-14 17:13:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10540929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilenceNorth/pseuds/SilenceNorth
Summary: The night before the Seige on the Spire turns out to be a cold one, and Erend has what he can only assume to be a VERY explicit dream. What was in those turkey legs?(Raunchy one shot with special guest appearances by Varl, Sona, and everyone's favorite made-up Vanguardsman, Kiln.)





	

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not obsessed, I promise.

Before the Dawn

 

                It was going to be a chilly night, Erend noticed, peering up at the Spire that towered over the valley. The sun hadn’t set yet, but the day didn’t hold its usual heat, and promised a bit of frost the next morning. Still, he always had his armor to keep him warm, and he needn’t worry about his men either. They were tough, solid men and women from the north. They could take both the heat of the forge and the cold of the mountains.

                The Vanguardsman turned to the ruins beneath the spire, putting on his helmet. It wouldn’t be long now. By this time tomorrow, the place would be chaos. At least, if Aloy’s news had merit. It always did. He’d hoped to see the woman before the battle, but was sure she was busy. Always busy, always running. The celebrity Nora.

                His men, having set up their tents, were having dinner around a small campfire. Not far off, a small group of Nora was sharing their dinner as well, though their gathering was much quieter. Erend cleared his throat and moved to join them, despite their looks making it obvious he wasn’t invited. He couldn’t win them all.

                A tough-looking dark skinned huntress met him with a cold stare, but the man, her son or so he’d heard, greeted him with a nod. “I figure since we’ll be fighting together tomorrow, I should get to know my comrades. I’m afraid I haven’t met either of you during my last foray into your lands. I’m Erend.”

                “Varl,” the man greeted him. His almond shaped eyes glimmered in the firelight. He couldn’t tell what color they were, but his face bore blue markings like his mother’s. “This is War Chief Sona.” He didn’t seem interested in offering much more information.

                Almost gingerly, Erend sat across the fire, though not close enough to warrant rejection. “Friends of Aloy’s,” he declared. “Or else I can’t imagine you’d be here. You… don’t look too happy about the situation.”

                Sona frowned deeply. Erend had a feeling that she was a very serious woman. “We do not belong here,” came her strong, deep voice. “We will defeat the dark machines, and once more return home where we belong. Where all Nora belong.” She sniffed, taking a large bite of turkey.

                Erend thought he would be better off directing his attention to Varl. “Don’t leave home much? Got a family to return to, I imagine,” he prompted, withdrawing his flask to take a swing.

                Varl’s eyes narrowed. “My sister, Vara, died in the last Proving. Aloy is our Anointed. She is all we have left here.”

                Erend nearly choked. “I’m sorry. I didn’t stay long after the Proving.” He shook his head. “So… you think Aloy is going to return with you? To the Sacred Lands?” He tried not to sound too anxious about the line of questioning. He cleared his throat again.

                Varl nodded. “She will. She is Nora, and the Mother has chosen her to lead us. My life, my mother’s life, is hers.” There was no small amount of fondness in the man’s voice when he spoke of Aloy. For a moment, Erend regarded the man cooly. He was closer to Aloy in age, agile-looking and very strong. Why wouldn’t she want to return with him? Mentally, the Vanguard Captain kicked himself. Against competition like Varl, he felt old, clumsy and foolish.

                “If my men and I can help you prepare, you know where to find us,” he offered, standing. Sona snorted, turning away, and Varl only nodded. Awkwardly, Erend gathered up his hammer and left to his own tent. A cluster of his men stood nearby, and he paused when he saw one of them grinning at him teasingly.

                “Making friends, Captain?” Kiln teased.

                “Just making sure the Nora are prepared for tomorrow,” Erend told the Vanguardsman, squinting at his grin. “What have YOU done to be ready?”

                Kiln slapped one of his friends on the back. “Full belly, full mug, what else is there? Perhaps a pretty woman to share my tent with!” He looked back towards the fire. “Think that Nora'll have me? She tolerated you, after all!”

                Erend snorted. “Sona? You could always try. She did ask what your name was. Go talk to her!” Just like him to try and get his men killed before the battle even started.

                Kiln turned to regard the War Chief with interest. “Hey Captain, isn’t that your Huntress friend? Is she fighting with us tomorrow or standing at Meridian?”

                Heart leaping, Erend turned to see the fiery flash of red hair, the outline he already knew well, standing at the fire he’d just come from. Varl and Sona were standing, speaking in hushed tones. The conversation looked serious. Quickly, Erend turned away when he realized he was staring.

                “Dunno. Guess we’ll see. Did anyone have questions about tomorrow?”

                “I do,” Kiln declared. “So exactly WHO are these guys…?”

                Erend was taken aback. Kiln needed to work on his active listening skills, he noticed. “They call themselves the Eclipse… Oh… Aloy.” He tried to seem surprised to see her, smiling as she popped up next to him, as she was wont to do. He could hear Kiln and his friends chuckling under their breath. He tried to ignore them, emitting a long sigh. “So here we are again, gearing up for a fight. Only this time, it sounds like the bad guys have a lot more firepower.” He frowned a little at her expression. “What are we up against? Really?”

                “I’m not sure,” Aloy admitted, rubbing her forehead with her fingertips. She looked tired and dusty. This must be one of her last stops to prepare for the battle. “But there’s going to be a lot more of them… and they’ll have machines. If they get past us…it’s not just Meridian that will fall. The rest of the world will go with it.”

                For a moment he wasn’t sure what to say. “That’s…. big.” Good job, Erend. Impress her with that vocabulary of yours. To distract from his awkwardness, he turned his attention to his men. “Sounds like our kind of fight, right guys?” He lifted a gloved fist. “Where do they put the Vanguard?” He prompted them.

                “At the front of the line!” He was relieved at their cheer. It reverberated across the valley.

                “And why!”

                “Steel before iron!”

                “And what are we gonna do?”

                “Hit ‘em like a Hammer till they can’t hit back!”

                Erend nodded curtly, glad for once they got it down. “Damn right,” he grinned proudly, turning back to Aloy. He was a little disappointed that she didn’t look impressed. “You hear that? Nobody’s getting past the Vanguard. We’re here for Meridian.” A quick glance back at his men, and his voice lowered. “And we’re here for you.”

                There was a little twitch of a smile. Joy flooded through him to see it. “Thank you Erend. Ersa would be proud.”

                A twinge of pain at the mention of his sister’s name made him squint a little. “Only if we win,” he admonished. A chuckle from Kiln caught his attention, and he turned back to the soldier.

                “I think she likes you,” the soldier practically giggled. One of the others piped up. “You gonna kiss her, Captain?”

                “Shut up. Now,” he told them with as much authority he could muster. “Let’s just pretend that didn’t…” But she was already gone. His heart dropped as he saw her disappearing over the rise. She must have more preparations to get to. Disappointed, he turned to his men, letting them take the brunt of his wrath. “You’re all children,” he accused. “Stop giggling.”

 

 

                It was dark when Erend laid out his bedroll. The fire had died down and his men had retired to their own tents to await the coming battle. He was glad they decided to call it a night early, but he knew sleeping might be beyond his grasp. He had a lot to think about, only some of which involved a giant Metal Devil that he had to apparently defend the Spire from. He hoped the siege stopped at Meridian, not wanting to imagine that it would plow through. He was fond of the city, after all.

                Lighting a candle was one of the few benefits he had to having a larger tent than his men. It was meant to review battle plans, offering a little more space, but he never read much. Instead, he used it to light the removal of his armor, glad he didn’t need it that day. He’d considered sleeping in it. It wouldn’t be the first time, after all, but if Meridian went under siege they would have plenty of time to prepare. Still, he had it at the most ready he could. Clad in his loose cotton undershirt and trousers, he kicked off his boots, blowing out the light.

                Grabbing his fur blanket, he rolled over on his side, covering his head with a groan. Another long night of thoughts of her, he was sure. Every time he thought he could distract himself with small things like impending death, she trumped his emotions. He wished he could see her again, wished he could talk to her alone, without his obnoxious Vanguard to distract him. He needed to tell her.

                Tell her what? He admonished himself. To stay here with you? Leave her tribe forever for some dimwit with a crush? His eyes closed, he wrinkled his nose in a silent snarl. Best just let it go, he told himself, though his fingertips tingled with the need to feel her fiery red hair between them.

                He wasn’t sure if he’d fallen asleep or not, but something had brought him to full alert. A noise, perhaps. The whisper of a blade of grass against a shoe. He squinted his eyes open, catching a glimpse of the white cloud his breath made in the cold. His fingers reached out, curled around his hammer. The metal was cold, awakening him further. Someone was trying to be sneaky.

                After a moment of silence, he sat up. The slow grinding noise his hammer made as he dragged it across the ground was his warning. He made it obvious he was awake and listening. Perhaps it was just a raccoon, looking for scraps.

                “Erend,” came a hushed, sharp whisper. He frowned, trying to place the toneless breath of his name. He didn’t respond at first, so wasn’t surprised to see the flap of his tent pull open. Fiery hair glinted in the moonlight. His heart stopped.

                “Aloy,” he returned her whisper, alarmed. “Is it now? Have they come?” He wondered why she wasn’t sounding the alarm. Carefully, the warmaiden slunk into his tent. She didn’t look at him, but he could see her even in the dim light. She was not wearing her armor, and the cloth tunic and trousers she wore looked soft but not warm. He moved to find a firestick to light the candle.

                “Wait,” she settled her hand over his. Her skin was cold, but her touch was searing heat. He couldn’t believe she was here, so close. “There’s no alarm. The city is sleeping.”

                Slowly, he put down the firestick, emitting an exhale of relief. “Why are you awake? You need rest for tomorrow.” Almost without conscious thought, he put his hand over hers, rubbing, trying to warm it.

                Her breath was silver as it drifted upwards from her lips. He focused on them when they moved. Her voice was barely more than a wisp of sound. “It’s so cold.”

                Suddenly, he remembered. “Olin’s door,” he grumbled. “By the sun, you are staying there. It must be a windtunnel.” He rubbed his eyes with his palm. “It’s not much better out here,” he admitted. “But if you like, I can give you my tent.” He gestured at the furs. “It’s all warmed up for ya and everything.”

                There was a smile, a smile just for him. He tried not to melt… those were so rare. He moved to retrieve his armor, annoyed at the volume of noise he made just moving it. Aloy removed her boots, moving to situate herself beneath the furs without disturbing them much and letting out the body heat he’d left. He tried not to watch her as he fumbled in the darkness for his things. A cool touch on his back made him pause. He could feel it almost as sharply as if she were touching his skin.

                “I’d be warmer if you stayed,” came her voice.

                He put down his things and turned to look at her in the darkness, half crouched next to the bedroll. It took a moment to process her words. Surely she didn’t know what she was asking. “I… uh…” he murmured, noticing just how small the tent now seemed.

                With a soft rustle, she turned away from him to her side. The tangle of her read hair reached like a trellis of vines across his pillow. “Stay,” she requested, almost sleepily.

                Erend ground his teeth, torn. But he knew he had little strength to deny her anything, let alone an invitation into a bed of furs. With as much caution as he could muster, he moved to slide beneath the furs once more, stretching out on his back. Well, he admitted to himself. He did say it was going to be a long night.

                The scent of her was filling his tent, mingling with his. Leather, candle smoke, machine oil and something almost flowery. He realized it was her hair. He closed his eyes and breathed in, trying to will himself to focus. That cool touch shattered his resolve as he felt her hand on his, drawing his arm around her waist. He rolled towards her back to hold her fully.  The sensation of her actually in his arms pulverized any fantasies he’d entertained. There was nothing like it. Her body was lithe and smooth, warm at her core. He tried his best to even out his breathing, knowing she could feel it on the back of her neck.

                “Aloy,” he murmured, tasting her name.

                “I know,” came her response. It seemed sleepy and wistful. “Tomorrow, we fight. But we might not see tomorrow night.”

                He swallowed hard at the reality of her words. No… there’d be no dying for him if he thought he’d be able to hold her like this again. He felt immortal.

                It seemed she didn’t. Her voice barely broke the silence. “I spent so many years alone,” she lamented. “I thought perhaps one more night wouldn’t make a difference. But it does.  I don’t want to be alone.”

                “You’re not,” Erend told her, almost too quickly. “I’m here for you, always. You should know that by now. I’ve… I…” She moved back against him, cutting off his words. Shut up, Erend, you fool. Everything that comes from your mouth is probably ramblings of an idiot to her. He growled to himself in frustration.

                She froze. “I’m sorry,” she said, stiffening as if to sit up. He gripped her tightly.

                “No… no… I like you here. Please. I’ll keep you warm.” He wrapped the fur tighter about her, crushing her back against his chest with a hard squeeze. She emitted a grunt from the pressure, but it made her laugh softly. Her long… long legs slid against one another as she shifted again, getting comfortable. Her fingers twined with his thick ones, drawing his hand to her breast and gripping it there tightly. Through her tunic he could feel her heartbeat.

                I’m dreaming, Erend decided. There’s no way this is real. I’m dreaming, I’m going to die tomorrow, but I’m dreaming now. He had no doubt she could feel his heart against her as well, pounding. He took a deep breath of her. Experimentally, his lips brushed the back of her neck. She smelled so good, almost delicious. Suddenly he wished he wasn’t so dirty from his armor. Doesn’t matter, he told himself. It’s just a dream.

                She squirmed against him again, and he worried she wasn’t comfortable. He gave her more space, but her soft sound of objection brought him back, closer. The next time she moved, he realized it wasn’t for her benefit. She knew what she was doing.

                “You’re… not making things easy for me,” he breathed, near her ear. He wished he could see her expression, but he could just make out the profile of her lashes, down against her cheek.

                “Oh?” She was feigning ignorance. She had to be. One of her legs slide across his, twining with it. Her rear, her perfect, tight ass, clothed in those soft trousers, pressed back hard against his hips. His eyes sunk closed, abandoning all hope that she couldn’t feel his growing erection straining his own trousers. She arched her back, releasing his hand to reach over her shoulder, her fingers twining through his hair. His hand gripped into a fist once before it wandered, unbidden, to her hip, holding her fast.

                “Please, Aloy….” Please what? Please leave? Please never stop? Please let me fuck you senseless?

                She held him with her leg, twisting her arched back in his arms. He leaned over her to meet her lips halfway, emitting a low groan at her taste. If this was a dream, he felt he’d die when it ended. He let her explore his mouth, meeting her heat with his, his hand sliding down over her hip to tug hungrily at the laces fastening her trousers. She was inexperienced with the concept of kissing, it was obvious, but he enjoyed every moment of teaching her. When she didn’t stop his ministrations on her pants, he opened them and slide his hand down her flat, smooth stomach, delving beneath.

                She broke the kiss with a gasp of surprise when his fingers slid through her wetness, spreading it. He almost lost himself in her sounds as she once more turned away to move back tighter against him. He shut his eyes, nuzzling the back of her neck as he shifted her pants down over her hips, giving him more of her body. She was no longer cold, and her skin was already slightly damp with the heat from the furs and his own body.

                He found her wet and so very delicate. He marveled at the sheer daintiness of her, despite the rugged capability she exuded. He lightened his touch, almost afraid to break her, dragging her back against his hips for leverage. Smoothly his fingers slide over her silky pussy, rubbing slowly, circling that nub he knew had never had the attention it deserved. She was panting softly, though she sounded as though she was stifling her moans. Let it out, he wanted to say. You can’t wake the others in a dream.

                She rolled her hips back against his, letting his barely restrained cock slide along her backside, teasing him as he teased her. He nipped gently at the back of her neck, letting her know with responding pressure how much he enjoyed it. Her hair clung to parts of his face, he could feel it even with his eyes closed. Her hand finally untangled from the Mohawk he shaved his hair into, wedging between them to fumble with the ties of his trousers. He drew back slightly, giving her room, but never ceasing his ministrations. She was moving too deliciously for him to stop. He increased pressure, sliding deliberately over her clit. Each time he did, she jerked with surprise, and as she finally released the ties of his clothes, he delved his finger into her.

                She cried out and gripped the muscles of his arm, abandoning his laces. He was panting with her now, painfully hard, withdrawing slowly only to press in again. She was so tight. If she wasn’t a virgin, she was at the least terribly under-experienced. Aloy squirmed in his grip, rocking her hips against his hand, drawing him in. He was focused, in ecstasy, when she orgasmed. He held tight, not expecting the wild reaction. Her nails dug in like claws, leaving marks on his arm before, suddenly, she shoved him away. He rolled onto his back, swallowing the cold air, letting it soothe the heat boiling within him.

                She was above him, panting, struggling with his trousers. He helped her, though it didn’t take much. He groaned her name when she moved over him, shoving away the furs. Her silhouette looked almost surreal against the canvas of his tent, but he could see her face, her lips, her eyes. They were barely open as she looked down at him, gripping his cock hungrily in her hand. Her lithe, smooth legs straddled him, and his hands lifted to the angle of her hips, his fingertips dragging a line of wetness across her skin.

                She held herself over him, teasing the tip of his cock against the slick wetness of her opening. He tilted his face up, teeth gritting as she attempted to lower herself over him. She emitted a sound of both pain and pleasure, throwing back her head, her hair a curtain of black in the darkness as it brushed her hips. Withdrawing slightly, she tried again, forcing him a little farther, stretching her tightness. He squirmed beneath her. There was no way he was going to keep this up for long.

                Another slight, desperate withdrawal, and she ground her hips down against him, forcing him deep inside of her. For a heartbeat he froze, letting her adjust, relishing in the heat of her, the tight smoothness that could drive him mad. She didn’t allow it for long, her hips rolling in a hungry, primeval motion that sent shocks of pleasure through him, bumping him deep into her core with every thrust of her hips down against his. He could only grip the sensual arch of those hips in his hands, bruising without realizing it, desperate to prolong his fantasy. But she was shaking his resolve, demolishing it as easily as she dispatched a scrapper, and the way she arched over him, groaning sweetly as if she barely knew he was there was going to be the end of him.

                She reached beneath the light fabric of his shirt, raking her nails down his chest, and he lost it. Grasping her with all of his strength, he bucked up hard, one, two… three times. The fourth was a more unsteady motion as he spent himself inside of her, every muscle tightening. Her own muscles gripped him relentlessly, drawing out his pleasure, making him shake. Unsteadily, he sat up, throwing his arms around her as she rested, straddling him. She squirmed out of her shirt, drawing him against her breasts, welcoming the heat of his harsh breathing against them. In his addled thinking, he hoped his beard wasn’t scratching her soft skin.

                For a long time, they rested like that, in silence. He was afraid speaking might break the mirage, shatter the dream. He felt her kiss the side of his head, next to his hair. “Somehow, I’m no longer sleepy,” she murmured, hand moving to knead his shoulder.

                “Dreams don’t get tired,” he breathed against her skin, and she laughed throatily.

                “Come on, Captain of the Vanguard,” she teased, her voice like honey. He groaned as she shifted her hips, sending a jolt through him. “The night’s still young, let the day take its time.”

               

               

               


End file.
